Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-08-20
"Are you hungry, roolbaaje" asked one in

b."
John answered that he was.
"Tie his hands behind him, and let US see il
he can catch in his mouth, like . dog" sug.
gested one Of the gentle youths.
"No, no; make him eat pap with a wooden 1
spoon, like a Kafir," said another. will
feed him il You have q very long SPOON"
Here again was legitimate cause for merri. |
ment, but In the end matters were compro- /
missed by a lump Of biltong and a piece of
bread being thrown to him from the other
end Of the room. He caught them and pro-
ceeded to eat, trying to conceal his ravenous
hunger as much AZ possible from the circle OF
onlookers who clustered round to watch the
operation.
Suddenly one OF the men remembered
about the young fellow whom he had thrown
backward of the horse and who was lying
very sick in the next room snnd suggested that
measures OF retaliation should he taken, which
would undoubtedly have been done had not
tho elderly Boer who had commanded the
party intelposed. This man was getting
drunk like the others, but fortunately for
John he got amiably drunk.
"Iet him alone" no said, "let him alone.
We will send him to the co,nmnndant to,
morrow. Frank Muller will know how to
deal with him."
John thought to himself that he certainly
would.
"Now, for myself" the man went Oh with a
hiccoush, II bear no malice. We have
thrashei the British and they have given up
tho country, so let bygones be bygones, I
say. Almighty, yes! | AM not proud, not /.
If an Englishman takes of his hat to mo
shall acknowledge it,"
This STAYED the fellows Off for u while, but
presently Johns protector went away, and
then tho others began to get playful. They
got the" rifles and amused themselves with
leveling them at him, and making sham bets
as to where they would hit him. John, Sec
ing the emergency, backed his chair we'll into
the corner Of the wall and drew his revolver,
which fortunately for himself he still had.
III any man interferes with me, by God,
Ill shoot him!" no said, in good English,
which they did not fail to understand. I'm
doubtedly as tho evening went on it was only
the possession Of this revolver and his evident
determination to use it that saved his life.
AT last things got very bad indeed, SO bad
that he found it absolutely necessary TO keep
his eyes continually fixed, now OIL one and
now OH another, to prevent their putting u
bullet through him unawarcs. He had twice
appealed to tho old woman, Hans Coctzee's
wife, but she SIT in her big chair with IL sweet
smile upon her fat face aud refused to inter
fore. 1t is not every day that ono gets tho
chance Of seeing areal live English rooibaatjo
bnited like an ant bear on the flat.
Presently, just as John in desperation was
making up his mind to begin shooting right
AMI left, the old woman, seeing that matters
were getting beyond u joke, came waddling
down tho room with marvellous activity and
threw herself between them.
"rhere, there" sho said, cutting right und
left with her fat fists, "bo of with you,
every one. can't have this noise going on
here. Come. Off you all go, and got the
horses into the stable; they WILDE right away
by morning if you trust them to the Kaflls."
The woman, to Johns astonishmcnt and
relief, literally bundled the whole tribe Of
them out Of the front door.
"Now then, rooibaatjc," said tho old lady,
briskly, when they had gone, II like you be.
cause you arc a brave man, and were not
afraid when they mohbed you. Also, l don't
want to have a mess made upon my floor
here. or any noise or shooting. If those men
come back and find you hero they will first
get rather drunken and then kill you, SO you
had better be of while you get tho chance"
and she pointed to tho door.
~ really am much obliged to you, my
aunt said John, utterly nstonished.
"Oh, as to that" she said dryly, "it would
be a great pity to kill tho last English roof
bantje in the whole British army; they ought
to keep you as n curiosity. Here, take n tot
of brandy before you go, 1t is q wet night,
and sometimes when you are clear Of tho
1ransvaal and remember this business, re.
member, too, that you owe your life to Tanta
Coetzee. But I would not have saved you,
not I, II you had not been so plucky. like
q man to be a man. There, be off"
John poured out and gulped down half Q
tumblcrful Of tho brandy, and In another mo-
ment was outside the house and had slipped
off into tho night. 1t was very dark and
wet, for the rain clouds had covered up tho
MOON, and he Soon realized that any attempt
to look for his horse would only end in failure
and in his recapture also. The only thing to
do was to get away on foot in tho direction
Of Mooifontein as quickly as he could; so off
he went down the track across the veldt as
hard as his stiff legs would take him. He
had a ten miles trudge before him, and with
that cheerful acquiescence in circumstances
over which le had no control which was ono
of his characteristics, he set to work to make
the best Of it. For tho first hour or so all
went well, and then to his intense disgust ho
discovered that he was OFF tho track, q fact
at which anybody who has ever had tho
pleasure OH a dark night of wandering along
a so called road on tho African veldt will
scarcely be surprised. After wasting a quar-
ter Of all hour Or more in q vain attempt to
find the path, lie struck out boldly for a dark
looking mass that doomed in tho distance,
And 90 f. WINS onlv instcod NJ koonino 70 tho
left when ho womb have landed nn ot tho
lousa mr. rather. where tbo horsa haJ
stool H.. uuwitt;poiv h,ro ~ 80 r;aht